The reward I wished for from the mountain keeper was the Goblin's Club.
Of course, I did not intend to take possession of the club itself.
While it was true that I had suffered a loss, receiving the club—an emblem and divine artifact of goblins—was not a fair trade.
Thus, I asked for just one hour.
I requested the mountain keeper to lend me the club for precisely one hour.
"No, but why do you even want to borrow it for an hour? You wouldn't be able to use it anyway. You don't even know what this is, do you?"
"I know very well."
The Goblin's Club was known to be a weapon unique to goblins, created by mixing fragments of stars with the souls of goblins.
Here, "soul" did not refer to an actual spirit but rather the accumulation of time that a goblin had spent using the club.
Over countless generations, goblins had used the club to perform magic, and the accumulated time itself had imbued the weapon with spiritual power.
Because of this, no other spiritual entity, nor even a highly cultivated human, could wield the club unless they were a goblin.
This was an absolute, immutable law.
"To you, it's just a fancy-looking club. You know that, right? If you try anything weird to force it to work, you're the only one who's gonna get hurt, kid."
The mountain keeper waved the Goblin's Club in his hand a few times before extending it toward me.
It looked like he wasn't holding anything at all, yet the air in the space where the club should be distorted slightly.
I respectfully reached out to receive it.
Thud—
And immediately dropped it.
It felt as if I had grabbed a boulder the size of a house.
The ground beneath where the club landed sank deeply.
The mountain keeper clicked his tongue, as if he had expected this outcome.
"Told you, you wouldn't even be able to hold it."
"Urgh."
Only after summoning my magical power could I lift it slightly.
To think the goblins could swing something this heavy so effortlessly—I was once again reminded of their extraordinary abilities.
I gathered all my strength, channeling my magic into my arms.
Creak!
Only then was I able to lift the Goblin's Club.
"Well then… I'll return in an hour. Please vacate the area until then."
"Geez, you stubborn brat. What exactly are you trying to do with that thing?"
The mountain keeper scoffed.
Grunting, I carried the Goblin's Club into the hollow where I had been training.
Boom!
As I set it down in the training ground, the ground trembled heavily.
"Hah… This thing is ridiculously heavy."
I took a deep breath and focused my gaze.
The reason I borrowed the Goblin's Club, despite being unable to use it, was simple.
'I need to see how far the black energy can reach.'
I needed to determine the extent of its influence.
The Goblin's Club was considered a celestial-grade weapon, though assigning it a rank was practically meaningless.
If black energy classified something as a "weapon," could it absorb everything? Or did it only work under specific conditions?
'Until now, I've been using this black energy recklessly. It's time to understand it properly.'
I sat in front of the club and slowly released my black energy.
Like mist, dark particles spread around me.
And the moment the black energy wrapped around the club—
Crackle!
A sharp pain shot through my head, accompanied by a voice.
—Geez, you stubborn brat. What exactly are you trying to do with that thing?
I heard the mountain keeper's voice, faint but distinct.
'I read it.'
Fwoosh!
"Ugh!"
The mere act of hearing a single sentence sent an excruciating pain through my heart and head.
As if exhausted from that single interaction, the black energy immediately retreated back into my body.
'So it worked.'
I felt my hand trembling.
It was just a single phrase, but the fact that I had managed to read it was what mattered.
A weapon that only goblins could wield.
Yet now, I had used my black energy to read it.
Reading a memory meant absorbing it.
Absorbing it meant I could wield it.
"Could it be… that I can even read weapons deemed unusable by humans?"
With shaking eyes, I stared at the Goblin's Club.
Something impossible had just occurred before my very eyes.
***
I spent the remaining time resting and organizing my newfound understanding.
And on the exact day that marked a full year, I gathered all the equipment and supplies I had prepared and made my way to the cave where the mountain keeper resided.
"Oh, no wonder things felt unsettled at the foot of the mountain. Is today the day you're leaving?"
The mountain keeper, already red-faced and tipsy from the morning, walked towards me in his loose-fitting fluorescent hiking outfit.
At first, I just thought his outfit was unbefitting of a goblin, but after learning that his shabby-looking hiking gear was actually from a high-end luxury brand, I had to admit—it suited a goblin after all.
"Yes, today marks exactly one year."
"Oh, really?"
The mountain keeper waved his hand with a flick.
In that instant, a large container filled with white powder dropped from thin air.
"What is that?"
Was he giving me some kind of farewell gift?
"Don't be ridiculous, kid. It's salt. I'm going to sprinkle it as you leave."
"..."
"Hmph! You have no idea how much trouble you've caused me… Just don't ever come back, seriously."
Of course.
I shook my head with a sigh.
"Well then, I'll be off now. Thank you for everything. I'll visit you again sometime to greet you properly."
I gathered my belongings from the ground.
The mountain keeper smirked.
"Oh, sure. But you know better than to come empty-handed, right? If you're coming, bring loads of alcohol. Then I'll give you a warm welcome. Keh-keh!"
For someone who was just about to sprinkle salt on me, he sure changed his tune fast.
I let out a chuckle and glanced up at Cheonwi Mountain.
As always, it stood tall and majestic.
I could still feel the pulse of countless lives within it, and the air remained crisp, rich with the scent of dense magical energy.
"Cheonwi Mountain really is a great place."
"Well, of course! Who do you think is managing it?"
"Are you satisfied with your life in the mountains?"
"Hm? What kind of question is that? It's not about satisfaction or anything—I stay because it's my place."
The mountain keeper furrowed his brow.
"And just so you know, I don't just sit here stuck in one place. I go out drinking and visiting places too. Where do you think I get my alcohol and snacks from? Now quit bothering me and get going already. Shoo, shoo!"
The mountain keeper waved his hands as if he were driving away a pesky nuisance.
I looked at him steadily and spoke.
"I can't do it right away… but someday, I'll restore your name. When that day comes, you'll help me, won't you?"
"...!"
The mountain keeper froze in place.
His eyes, usually full of mischief, quivered violently.
"…How do you know about that?"
"Well then, see you next time. Take care."
I turned and started my descent down the mountain.
At the base, a group of warriors and a transport vehicle awaited me, ready to escort me.
At last, my year-long stay in Cheonwi Mountain had come to an end.
***
The mountain keeper stood at the edge of the mountain, watching Lee Cheol's departing figure.
"Heh…"
His eyes widened in shock as he let out a dry chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck.
"How in the world did he know about that?"
The mountain keeper recalled a story about a certain foolish goblin.
A long time ago—though not so far back that tigers still smoked pipes—there was a goblin who roamed all across the land, poking his nose into every corner.
Among goblins, who already had a fondness for humans, this one was particularly enamored with people. He also loved human food and alcohol, which led him to cause all sorts of mischief wherever he went.
Eventually, the goblin encountered a warrior renowned throughout the nation.
The warrior subdued the goblin, lectured him, and then set him free.
But the goblin, unable to accept his defeat, challenged the warrior to a wrestling match.
To a goblin, wrestling wasn't just a match where they grabbed hold of each other's belts and tumbled to the ground.
It was closer to a duel than a game, and closer to a ritual than a duel.
And in that crucial battle, the goblin lost.
As per the conditions of the match, he had to grant the warrior's wish.
The warrior made two requests:
To guard the mountain and aid those who came to train.
To create a trial that would test and select the worthy.
Thus, the goblin who loved to play tricks on people became the guardian of a mountain and lived there for a long, long time.
…That is the story as it is known.
Like all old tales, however, it was a distorted version of the truth.
As time passed, only a handful of people came to know the rest of the story.
The only thing the man had actually asked of the goblin was one thing.
The man asked for the goblin's name.
A goblin's name was its very essence, and so, by giving it away, the goblin had effectively mortgaged its soul to the man.
The stories about guarding the mountain or helping with training were merely orders the man had given afterward.
—It's not a bad fate. It may be boring, but you brought it upon yourself.
—One day, if a child who shares my bloodline returns your name to you, then our contract will finally come to an end.
"..."
Even though he had lost his freedom, the time he spent was not entirely bad.
After all, it was his own reckless mischief that had led to this situation in the first place.
Besides, life on Cheonwi Mountain could be dull at times, but it was never lacking.
For a goblin who lived in harmony with nature, Cheonwi Mountain was an ideal place.
Though he had lost much of his power along with his name, he gained new strength as he served as the mountain's guardian.
Even if he had been bound, he could still roam from mountain to mountain.
Yet in the end, he remained shackled.
From a past so distant it was uncountable, all the way to the present.
'How did he find out… Tsk, well, that strange guy would figure it out somehow. But still, ha! He says he'll return my name?'
No one knew how a name could be returned.
Not even the mountain guardian himself, and certainly not the few people who knew the secret of this story.
That scoundrel Lee Hyulhyeon had deliberately hidden it.
And yet, that boy had mentioned the name.
Perhaps, just as Lee Hyulhyeon had once said, this boy, Lee Cheol, was the one who could return his name.
Then, suddenly, the mountain guardian's eyes narrowed.
"That little brat! Running off just like that and leaving me hanging? Filling my head with false hope and then disappearing?"
He roared in frustration.
The birds that had been perched on nearby branches scattered in alarm.
"Ugh! I should just throw some salt!"
The mountain guardian plunged his hand into a salt jar and scattered it in irritation.
***
After a year of training, I was finally on my way home.
I thought back to the mountain guardian's flustered expression and chuckled.
'His name, huh… To be honest, I don't know exactly either.'
I remembered the hidden backstory because I had heard of it in my past life.
But the exact method to restore his name? I didn't know.
I only knew one thing.
'There was a mention of it when the documents about Heukya were discovered.'
In the end, the mountain guardian's name was also tied to the seal of Heukya.
When that day came, I intended to return his name without hesitation.
Of course, I wouldn't do it for free.
"Young Master, shall we head back to the family estate?"
"No. First, please take me to the ancestral burial ground."
"The ancestral burial ground… You mean Sungmu Mountain?"
"Yes, please. I just need to pay my respects before we return."
"Understood."
I had to break the seal of Heukya.
Leaving my reluctant bodyguards behind, I made my way back up Sungmu Mountain.
After breaking another seal, I returned home a little later than expected.
The Sungmu family's main house.
A massive three-gate entrance stood tall, reminiscent of a palace's entrance.
And beyond that gate, someone unexpected was waiting for me.
"Butler Choi."
"It has been a long time, Young Master. Have you been well?"
Butler Choi greeted me with a warm smile.
"I wasn't expecting a welcome. Thank you for coming to meet me."
I had thought maybe my nanny would come out, but I hadn't expected Butler Choi at all.
'Well, actually, I did expect it.'
It wasn't hard to guess why Butler Choi had personally come to greet me.
"My father has summoned me, hasn't he?"
"Yes, that is correct. The Lord is waiting for you. I will have someone take your belongings to your room, so please head straight to the main house."
The first thing that happened upon my return home—
Was my father's summons.
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